The $500 Coffee Shop Playbook

If I had $500 to grow a coffee shop, here’s exactly what I’d do.

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$150 → Loyalty stamp cards
Like the ones in your junk drawer from the ’90s and early 2000s. My local deli has these, and every time I see the card, I plan my next trip.

$100 → Put an iPhone in the hands of your most online barista
Your barista is watching TikToks on their shift anyways. Let them cook and watch what happens.

$100 → Set the vibe
Pumpkins during fall, lights in December, flowers in May. Your space is either photographable OR ugly. Don’t let it be ugly.

$50 → Start an email list
Put up a QR code at the checkout that says “Scan me for a free drip coffee.” Take them to a landing page, get their email, and start your email campaigns.

$100 → Bakery collab
Buy $100 worth of pastries from a local bakery and give them away for free at your shop. Ask to promote it via a collab post with the bakery + blast on both of your stories.

Do a version of these things every day, week, and month — watch what happens.